Interchangeable conveyer frame units



April 24, 1951 -N. w. LYON INTERCHANGEABLE CONVEYER FRAME UNITS Filed 001;. 4, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet l I (if INVENTOR 175mm Miro/V BY I ATTORNEYS Aprli 24, 1951 N. w. LYON INTERCHANGEABLE CONVEYER FRAME UNITS Fild Oct. 4, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 3m u Mk m w ATTORNEYS April 24, 1951 LYON 2,550,156

INTERCHANGEABLE CONVEZYER FRAME UNITS Filed Oct. 4, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z1 3/ 39 4 0 30 34 32 42 ll INVENTOR I Min/m Mfra/v ATTQRNEYS April 24, 1951 N. w. LYON INTERCHANGEABLE CONVEYER FRAME UNITS 4 sheets-sheet 4 Filed Oct. 4, 1944 FIIIIFIJJ. ar/A7 2 Ilfll...

an; I I

INVENTOR 116mm Mlrolv BY I 6%,4' 1 44 ATTORNEYS ing and closing the containers.

tube with cardboard disks or the container thus formed.

Patented Apr. 24, 1951 INTERCHANGEABLE CONVEYER UNITS FRAME Norman W. Lyon, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Package Machinery Company,

Springfield, V a

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 4, 1944, Serial No. 557,142

This invention relates to apparatus for advancing articles, such as containers, pastsuccessive instrumentalities such as means for fill- The embodiment shown is suitable for use with instrumentalities for closing the open ends of a card-board plugs and in filling A feature of the invention resides in the correlation of several diiferent mechanisms into one unified whole for the performance of a continuous operation at high speed, and in so arranging'the component parts of the apparatus that any one of the several mechanisms may be replaced for a different operation if desired or the whole may be expanded by the addition of further mechanisms without disturbance to the unified character of the apparatus as; awhole or to its function .of continuous operation in high speed production. 4

' According to the invention the several operations are performed on a series of frameunits which, however-,are functionallyincompl'ete un til linked together into a. combined whole. While in possession ofyoneof said frame units," the article has certain of the several desired oper-' ations performed on it and is then transferred to the next frame unit'for'further operations. The frame units are interdependent in that the infeed instrumentality for one unit constitutes the discharge instrumentality of the preceding unit and said several units are conveniently mounted upon an expansible frame for being tied together in their cooperative arrangement.

The several features of improvement, objects and advantages of the invention will become clearly apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view shown partly in diagrammatic and partly in structural form to illustrate the path taken by the containers from the in.-.

feed conveyor through the successive turrets as :far as the filler machine;

Fig. 2 is a detail front elevation of the first transfer turret, looking from the arrows at dotted line,22 of Fig. 1; c

Fig. 3 is a viewlsimilar to Fig. 1 and in con- ,tinuation of the same showing the path taken by the containers from the filler machine through the remaining turrets. for completing their end closures and depositing. them onto thedischarge conveyor; I

Fig. 4 represents a separate plan view of the support part of a typical frame unit a plurality 4 Claims. 198-22) "unitsis also shown in Fig. 6.

. frame part.

6 with side rails l and 3 and frame units VI,

2. from line 66 of Fig. 4 and showing the side rails supported by the frame legs.

The general layout of the complete apparatus is illustrated in the plan view Figs. 1 and 3 with details of the frame units in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. As shown in Fig. l the fore part of the main frame comprises the leg members I and 2 which support in longitudinal extension between them two laterally spaced parallel side rails 3 and 4. Bolted between the side rails and in abutting end to end relationis a s ries of boxlike frame units I, II, III, IV, and V, which are similar in construction and one of which is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The manner of bolting the side rails to the leg members and to said frame In Fig. 3. the after part of the main frame is shown and isconstructed similarly to the fore It comprises leg members 5 and VII, and" VIII bolted therein. As shown this after frame part is laterally displaced in parallelism with the fore frame part for the purpose of furnishing a space therebetween for the convenient positioning of an intermediate operating device such as a filler machine indicated generally at 9. l

The power drive for the entire apparatus comprises the electric motor H3 mountedv on a base ll having its shaft l2 connected by pulleys and belt ii) to a gear box [4 containing suitable gears (notshown) for reducing or changing the transmission speed of the motor shaft. From the box l4 extends the slow speed shaft 5 having a double sprocket and chain connection [6 to the main drive shaft I? for the after frame part.

This shaft extends longitudinally beneath the frame units VI, VII, and VIII, is made up in sections therefor as hereinafter described and 1 chain 23 to the main drive shaft for the fore fframe part. This drive shaft 24 is also made up of sections (see Fig. 5) and extends longitudinally beneath the several frame units I to V. At its left end shaft 24 drives by sprockets and chain 25 the infeed belt or conveyor 26.

The outer end of belt 26 passes over an idler pulley Zl. Theright end of the shaft 24 also of which are joined together to form 'a frame typicalfor each frame unit; and I v .5 i 618 n v e ri i. u iile l e has a connectionby sprockets and chain 28 to drive any intermediate device such-as the filler 7 machine 9.

As previously mentioned. the several frame units I to VIII inclusive are identical in construction and as typical, one of them is illustrated indetail. in. Figs. 4,. 5, and 6. It com.-

: prises aboxlike body 29 from the LIIIGGIZQZQQQI which depend hangers and 3| to support a section of the main drive shaft, such as I! or 24. As shown in Fig. 5 each end of the shaft section has keyed to it a sprocket, 32 for the end of one section and 33 for the end of an adjacent shaft section. These sprockets are in abutting face to face relation and are coupled together by a single piece of chain 3 5 with links wide enough to embrace the teeth of both sprockets, wrapped around the periphery of said sprockets and joined at its ends to form an encircling chain ring.

In this manner the sections of the shaft H or 24 are coupled together with some flexibility and it will be obvious that since each frame unit carries its own individual shaft section, the main frame may be comprised of any reasonable number of said frame units in end to end relation simply by lengthening the side rails. Different frame units may carry different instrumentalities and turret mechanisms for performing different kinds of operations on an article carried there through and consequently the versatility of this type of apparatus organization is practically without limit since the frame units may be exchanged, shufiled about or multiplied according to the requirements of the work in hand. It should be mentioned also that an article to be worked on by the different frame units is transferred from one to the other in continuous procession without stopping and without extraneous transfer mechanism. Each unit comprises means as a part of its individual mechanism for receiving an article from a preceding unit and delivering it to a succeeding unit in the line.

The features which the several frame units have in common in addition to the shaft section previously described are that upon its top side each unit has two spaced base stands Iii for the turret shafts later to be described and two spaced base stands H' for stanchion posts 31 which serve to support stripper fingers El and the stationary framework upon which is mounted the instrumentalities which work in conjunction with the turrets. Each frame unit has mounted thereon a pair of revolving turret shafts 13 and 14 which are vertically disposed and positioned as shown in Fig. 4 at diagonally opposite corners of said frame unit. When the frame units are coupled together in series as in Figs. 1 and 3 the turret shaft H5 at the northeast corner of one frame unit is in the same spaced relation to the turret shaft 73 at the southwest corner of a succeeding frame unit, as it is to the turret shaft 13 of its own frame unit. In this way'the turret shafts are in similarly adjacent relation one to another throughout the series. 1

A typical transmission drive for said turret shafts is shown in Fig. 5. The box body 29 has mounted therein two pinion stub shafts 39 and 4B which at their upper ends are in driving mesh with gears and 35 upon the lower ends of their respective turret shafts l3 and It. The turret shafts are not shown in this view. The

lower end of pinion shaft 39 is connected by bevel gears Hand 42' to the main drive shaft such as 24 and pinion shaft 4!} is connected to said shaft 24 by bevel gears 53 and 44. As shown this gear transmission provides that the two turret shafts will be rotated in opposite directions and in the present embodiment the turret sha ft at the northeast corner of each frame unit rotates clockwise and the turret shaft at the southwest corner rotates anti-clockwise as indicated by the arrows Figs. 1 and At the right end of the fore frame part there is attached a semi frame unit IX which is similar to a semi frame unit X attached to the right end of the after frame part. Each of these semi frame units comprises a body similar to 29 in Fig. 5 but approximately half the width thereof. It carries a section of its respective drive shaft as in Fig. 5 but includes a bearing for only one stub shaft similar to 39 and with similar gear transmission for a single turret shaft. In the semi unit IX the turret shaft 13 carries a pocket member 46 for transferring the article from the fore frame part to the filler machine 9 and in the semi unit X the turret shaft 13 carries a pocket member 48 for transferring the article to the discharge belt 20. An arcuate guide wall 49 is provided to cooperate with pocket member 46 and an arcuate guide wall 50 is provided for the pocket member 48.

The filler machine 9 has the usual intake feeding star wheel 5| to receive articles from the pocket member 45 and an output delivery star wheel 52 to transfer the containers over to frame unit VI of the after frame part. Arcuate guide wall 53 coacts with star wheel 5|, guide wall 54 coacts with the rotating filler and guide wall 55 coacts with star wheel 52 all to the end of effecting a smooth and continuous transfer of containers from the fore frame part to the after frame part.

At the inner end of the infeed belt 25 there is provided an escapement mechanism comprising an intermittently released rotatable star wheel 56. The detail. mechanism of this escapement may be the same or equivalent to that described in my Patent No. 2,297,968, October 6, 1942. Its function is to release an article coming in on the feed belt 26 in properly timed relation to be received by the first pocket member 5'? of the initial frame unit I. The pocket member 51' shown in elevation in Fig. 2 serves simply as a transfer element and is similar in construction and function to pocket members as and .8. Pocket member 57 is fixed to the rotating turret shaft 13 of the first frame unit and has in coacting relation therewith the stationary arcuate guide wall 59. The infeed belt 26 also has side guide walls 5!! and BI, said wall 60 forming a continuation of wall 59. Fixed to rotating shaft 13 of the first frame unit is the operating cam 62 which through rocking lever 63, rod 62, and lever 65 actuates release mechanism (not shown) of the escapement star wheel 56.

As described in my Patent No. 2, 297,968 above referred to, the star wheel 56 may be rotated with a uniform step by step motion but the conditions of its release for any one step are two 7 fold, first, an article on the continuously moving infeed belt 26 must be pressing against a prong of the star wheel striving to get past the same, and second the controlling cam 62 must be in the right timed position. Therefore it is a matter of indifference to the infeed mechanism whether the articles are regularly spaced or not on the infeed belt. In any event an article will be fed to the apparatus in properly timed relation. However, with a continuous stream of abutting articles coming in on the infeed belt the conditions for automatic and regularly timed release will prevail, and an article will be delivered to each pocket of the member 5'! as it swings around into receiving position.

Each of the turret shafts of the several frame units has fastened for revolving therewith a double ended pocket member in a general way similar on the same level throughout the series.

to member 57. The turret shafts are continuously rotated in synchronism so that at periodic intervals the pockets of adjacent pocket members are brought into conjunctive relation facing one another. The article engaging surface of each pocket is somewhat less than half a circumference and is equidistant from a radial center. When two pockets of adjacent pocket members come into conjunctive relation, their radial centers are in substantial coincidence and the article in one of said pockets is to the same extent simultaneously in the facing pocket. It is at this moment that instrumentalities associated with said respective pockets operate to transfer the container from a preceding pocket to a succeeding pocket. Each pocket member at the southwest corner of a frame unit sweeps the container over a stationary supportin platform plate such as 66 (see Fig. 4) and each of the pocket members at the northeast corner of a frame unit carries the container in support upon a rotating platform such as 94 (see Fig. 18). The platform plate 66 may be slightly varied in shape for different frame units and is detachably secured to an underlying member 67 (see Fig. 4),

These container supporting platforms are all Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 the path of travel for the articles through the entire apparatus is indicated by the circuitous dotted line and the arrows indicate the direction of rotation of the several turrets. It should also be mentioned that the containers travel in the same horizontal plane in their path through the apparatus and after leaving the escapement wheel 56 the travel is continuous and without stop until delivered from the discharge belt 20. "V

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described a frame comprising a selected plurality of interchangeable frame units, each unit including a horizontal drive shaft section, a pair of vertical turret shafts carrying article advancing turrets, and a driving connection between the drive shaft section and said vertical turret shafts to drive the latter, means to connect the several frame units rigidly together with the drive shaft sections of the several frame units in substantial alignment, and means releasably and flexibly coupling the adjacent ends of the drive shaft sections together, the radial distance between the turret shafts in each frame unit being equal to the radial distance between each said shaft and the adjacent turret shaft in the adjacent frame unit to permit transfer of articles by and between the turrets on adjacent shafts in a continuous path through the successive frame units.

2. In apparatus of the class described a frame comprising a selected plurality of interchangeable frame units, each unit including a horizontal drive shaft section, a pair of vertical turret shafts carrying article advancing turrets, and a driving connection between the drive shaft section and said vertical turret shafts to drive the latter in opposite directions, means to connect the several frame units rigidly together with the drive shaft sections of the several frame units in substantial alignment, sprockets secured to each end of each drive shaft section and a length of sprocket chain encompassing each pair of adjacent sprockets with the teeth of each sprocket of the pair makinga common engagement in a link of the chain to flexibly couple the adjacent drive shaft sections together, the radial distance between the turret shafts in each frame unit and between adjacent shafts in adjacent frame units being equal to permit transfer of articles from one turret to the next in a continuous path through the successive frame units.

3. In apparatus of the class described a frame comprising a selected plurality of interchangeable frame units, each unit including a drive shaft section, a pair of vertical turret shafts carrying article advancing turrets, a pair of fixed vertical stanchion posts for supporting selected container forming instrumentalities and a driving connection between the drive shaft section and said vertical turret shafts to drive the latter in opposite directions, means to connect the several frame units rigidly together with the drive shaft sections of the several frame units in substantial alignment, and means flexibly coupling the adjacent ends ofv the drive shaft sections together, the radial distance between the turret shafts in each frame unit and between adjacent shafts in adjacent frame units being equal to permit transfer of articles from one turret to the next in a continuous path through the successive connected frame units.

4. In apparatus of the class described a frame comprising a selected plurality of interchangeable frame units, each unit including a drive shaft section, a pair of vertical hollow turret shafts carrying article advancing turrets, a fixed post extending upwardly through said hollow shaft, a pair of fixed vertical stanchion posts and a driving connection between the drive shaft section and said turret shafts to drive the latter in opposite directions, the said posts in each unit supporting functionally independent instrumentalities for performing one complete step in a selected plurality of container forming operations, said instrumentalities being powered from said turret shafts, means to connect the several frame units rigidly together with the drive shaft sections of the several frame units in substantial alignment, and means flexibly coupling the adjacent ends of the drive shaft sections together, the radial distance between the turret shafts in each frame unit and between adjacent shafts in adjacent frame units being equal to permit transfer of articles from one turret to the next in a continuous path through the successive frame units.

NORMAN W. LYON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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